Football is truly a game of inches (or: How one play can affect the whole season.)

[Phinja]

The Dolphins find themselves as a respectable 4-4 at the midpoint. As a long time fan I always feel a deep rooted desire to see the Phins do well, often at the expense of veracity. Often these "aqua colored glasses" that find their way into my mind's field of vision are shared by many fellow fans. It can be contagious, the same way one finds themselves smiling when confronted with another's happiness.

When I look at the state of the Dolphins, however, I find that I am beckoning ever hopeful for a playoff berth. I say this because, though I am admittedly biased, I feel that this team is even better then what their record shows. While some of you are going to laugh openly (I can see that little smiley right now, cackling and slapping the ground, much to my chagrin) I ask that you hear me out. We all know the Phins are 4-4, with a 2-1 division record.

Consider this:
It's 4th and 13 in sunny Miami. A world weary Brett Favre takes the snap from center, his calloused, old (some would say experienced...) hands closing around the oblong ball that represents the Jets chances to sneak out a win from a surprisingly feisty Dolphins team. He drops back, as he as thousands of times before; his eyes catch glimpse of a flash of green and white. He tries to set his feet to throw, but his legs bend under a sudden additional weight. A monster of a man wearing aqua and orange is draped about his waist, becoming him to take a hard tumble onto the unforgiving ground. He almost obliges, but something clicks in the back of his mind; that flash of green and white, screaming at that part of his brain where the quarterback in him resides. Almost subconsciously his arm ****s to throw. Up goes the prayer of a pass. He's done this hundreds of times before. Some make it. Some do not....

We all know how this particular story ends. However, if this play goes ever so slightly in another direction, the Dolphins surprise their first divisional opponent this year. Instead of gazing up from 4th in the division at 4-4, we would have the driver’s seat today at 5-3 and 3-0 in the AFCE. I know that it has no bearing now. What is done is done. But I hope this young team does not forget that every play can matter. Seasons can be won and loss in the seconds between the snap of the ball, and the sound of the whistle.

So I will continue my unabashed optimism of this season. I can't wait untill the playoff picture is clear, because I have a good feeeling about what is in store for us. :beer1:




^^ And this is what happens when I am bored at work...

 

[Phinja]

The other game (that I didn't mention) is the Texans game. We had a legit shot at 6-2.......

 

[oasis]

Yep - those two plays WILL affect our season tremendously.

They'll either be the difference between making or not making the playoffs.
Between winning the division or not.
Between hosting a wildcard or going on the road.
Between hosting a wildcard or getting a bye.

But that's how it goes...

 

[phinfan33]

The Dolphins find themselves as a respectable 4-4 at the midpoint. As a long time fan I always feel a deep rooted desire to see the Phins do well, often at the expense of veracity. Often these "aqua colored glasses" that find their way into my mind's field of vision are shared by many fellow fans. It can be contagious, the same way one finds themselves smiling when confronted with another's happiness.

When I look at the state of the Dolphins, however, I find that I am becoming ever hopeful for a playoff berth. I say this because, though I am admittedly biased, I feel that this team is even better then what their record shows. While some of you are going to laugh openly (I can see that little smiley right now, cackling and slapping the ground, much to my chagrin) I ask that you hear me out. We all know the Phins are 4-4, with a 2-1 division record.

Consider this:
It's 4th and 13 in sunny Miami. A world weary Brett Favre takes the snap from center, his calloused, old (some would say experienced...) hands closing around the oblong ball that represents the Jets chances to sneak out a win from a surprisingly feisty Dolphins team. He drops back, as he as thousands of times before; his eyes catch glimpse of a flash of green and white. He tries to set his feet to throw, but his legs bend under a sudden additional weight. A monster of a man wearing aqua and orange is draped about his waist, becoming him to take a hard tumble onto the unforgiving ground. He almost obliges, but something clicks in the back of his mind; that flash of green and white, screaming at that part of his brain where the quarterback in him resides. Almost subconsciously his arm ****s to throw. Up goes the prayer of a pass. He's done this hundreds of times before. Some make it. Some do not....

We all know how this particular story ends. However, if this play goes ever so slightly in another direction, the Dolphins surprise their first divisional opponent this year. Instead of gazing up from 4th in the division at 4-4, we would have the driver’s seat today at 5-3 and 3-0 in the AFCE. I know that it has no bearing now. What is done is done. But I hope this young team does not forget that every play can matter. Seasons can be won and loss in the seconds between the snap of the ball, and the sound of the whistle.

So I will continue my unabashed optimism of this season. I can't wait untill the playoff picture is clear, because I have a good feeeling about what is in store for us. :beer1:




^^ And this is what happens when I am bored at work...

:sidelol:...as a fellow Dolphins fan i share ur optimism...i just hope we can continue playing like we have the last 2 games and reel off 3 straight W's at home in front of our fans...LETS GO DOLPHINS..

 

[Avigatorx]

Or maybe those 2 plays are the reason we won 4 so far.....


You never can tell...

Maybe losing to the Jets and Cards helped make it easier for us to toss in the wildcat offense and whoop the pats at home...

Maybe our inability to stop Andre Johnson helped us to work more on our coverage skills and shut down Lee Evans and Brandon Marshall.

We can't look to the past (no matter how tempting it is) and say "What if...."

We need to look to the future and say "Why not?" :)

 

[Phinja]

I think we have a real good shot. I hope these two plays don't cause us an issue getting in the playoffs. Heck, most people didnt think we'd win 4 all year.

 

[3rdandinches]

You may be able to look back at certain plays and think those are the deciding factors in our fate but your sadly mistaken. That single play may look obvious in why we lost but that is assuming if things changed on that single play everything else stays the same.
You could look at 40 plays in a game that if a block was maintained, or the proper coverage was used, or a penalty, or a tackle made would have as much to do with the end result as that TD throw.
Yes football is a game of inches but not in one play, it's the addition of those inches throughout the entire game that makes the difference. People say St.Louis won the superbowl by a foot on the last play of the game, but I say it was becuse the yardage the ST.Louis offense got before punting, add the yardage saved making tackles by the defense during that last drive, all this added up to having 12 inches to spare at the end of the game.